Don't Look Back
by xxWARxx
Summary: Her body shook violently as the blood poured out of her. Her eyes burned with tears. Nero saw how broken she was. Which amazed him since she was the girl who challenged him daily, who could take on demons three times her size and win. She'd always been one of the strongest people he knew. But in that moment, she needed help. And he'd be the one to get her back on her feet.
1. Being Tiny is the New Badass

_Disclaimer - I don't own any part of the _Devil May Cry _franchise. I do, however, own any/all OC's I incorporate into this story, the plot, and most likely anything else you may not recognize (_**Copyright © xxWARxx**_)._

* * *

><p><em><strong>Small and Fragile Just Got a Wake Up Call<strong>_

Rain pelted down the streets of Capulet City. Lightning flashed for the umpteenth time that night and thunder boomed loudly. The cold night air ran through the streets, leaving no part untouched with it's chill. All was still in the quiet city, everything…

…except that demon lurking in a dark corner, feeding off a defenseless human female.

The demon was rather large with a mangled and scarred face. The teeth that flashed in the dim light were huge, jagged, and yellow. The claws, the long, sharp, black claws dug into the flesh of that poor women lying lifelessly in the corner.

Her hazel eyes were distant, far away, as if in some alternate universe.

The demon shamelessly wiped his mouth for any stray blood. He licked it from the back of his hand, reveling in how warm and sweet her blood had been, instantly craving more.

He looked over his shoulder to make sure he'd finished her off completely before returning to his human form. His eyes lost the their red and black coloring and went back to being light brown. He picked up his clothes and shoes, slipping on the human garments before quickly walking out of the damp alley.

Ten minutes later, he stumbled across a dirty little bar that wasn't completely packed. His attention was drawn to a small teenager with dark hair sitting at the bar talking to some guy with what appeared to be white hair and an arm in a sling. They seemed to be arguing. The demon smirked before opening the door.

_Perfect._

It smelled like something had died and the low jazz in the background skipped a beat every now and again, causing the song to start from the beginning. Small tables and chairs were scattered randomly across the small space of the pub and two pool tables sat in the middle of the room.

The young man with the white hair and the sling on his arm stalked off to the pool tables just as the demon stepped through the threshold. He made sure that the guy wasn't looking before walking over to the bar and asking for the heaviest thing the bartender had. The demon looked at the girl.

Her bright green eyes seemed to glint in the harsh light when they peaked from the side bangs that hung in her face, despite the odd bun that had done so well holding back the rest of her dark hair. Her purple hoodie's sleeves were bunched up at her elbow, revealing her forearms and thin fingerless black worn-out, leather gloves. Her jean shorts showed off her legs. Her feet were clad in chunky black boots with multiple buckles going up the sides as the stopped mid-calf. She seemed eerily familiar-like he knew her from somewhere.

_If I knew her_, he thought, _I would've drained her ages ago._

The bartender, a chubby man with a long dark beard, gruffly said, "That'll be two twenty."

The demon brought his thoughts away from the girl who sat next to him and handed the man behind the counter a ten dollar bill.

"Keep the change," he said politely. The bartender only grunted and disappeared out the door that read **EMPLOYEES ONLY **in big bold capital letters. The demon looked at her again. She seemed so small and fragile and vulnerable. For a brief moment, he almost didn't want to drink her blood until she was bone dry and suck every last ounce of energy out of her.

Almost.

_Young blood_. _It always tastes the best_, he reminded himself.

"Do you need something?" the girl spoke sharply, sounding rather annoyed. She hadn't turned her head, instead her green eyes looked at him from the corners of her eyes.

"Just wonderin' what a pretty young thing like yourself is doin' in a dirty old place like this."

He flashed his best smile, showing off his perfect teeth that gleamed in the dim light. The girl just snorted at his attempt to flirt. "I'm Klyde."

She ignored him and just stared out the window at the pouring rain. "Crap. Just when I need to leave is when it starts raining."

"You know," Klyde began slowly, "I could drive you back to your place."

"It's fine," Lena declined. "My-"

"-brother is very well capable of taking her home."

Lena and Klyde both turned to find the guy behind them, towering over the young girl. His eyes were an electric blue, hair stark white. He had on jeans, boots, a blue coat and red hoodie that looked like a vest as well peeking out underneath that. His eyes were cloudy with anger.

"Sorry, man," Klyde stated. "Didn't know she had a ride."

"Well she does," the young man-who also looked eighteen-said roughly. "Let's go."

He continued to glare at Klyde as Lena scooted herself off the chair and walked next to him. The two walked out of the grimy bar with their hoods up, ready to head out into the rain. Klyde growled. He wasn't about to let his dessert run away that easily. Finishing off his heavy alcoholic beverage, he slammed the now empty glass on the wood counter top of the long thin table and raced toward the door in a hurry. Outside in the terrible weather, Klyde looked around for the two. Normally he feasted on women, for their blood was sweeter than men's, but he could make an exception just this once. That guy had pissed him off. Klyde spotted the pair turning the corner.

With another growl, he chased after them.

Instantly, he shifted back into his demon form. His clothes ripped and fell limply to the ground as the claws and teeth broke through. His face went from a handsome young man's to that of an ugly demon.

He ran forward, gaining on them quickly. He noticed that they didn't stop walking or start running. They didn't even look back! Each time his foot came in contact with the sidewalk, more water kicked up, spraying the back of his legs. Just as he was going to pull the girl back and snap the boy's neck, the two ducked and the demon fell flat on its face. He shot up just in time to feel the double barrel gun being pressed against his temple.

"Goodnight, you dirty bastard," the young man smirked. He shot the gun and the loud fire rang out through the still streets. The demon fell to the ground, the bullet lodged in his head. Blood seeped from his head, mixing with the rain water that collected on the dirty ground.

She looked down at it, the features of it morphing between human and demon, as if it were indecisive on which form to take. She caught sight of its eyes, brown eyes that she swore she knew from a distant place, a very distant place….

"C'mon Pipsqueak, get walkin'."

"Stop calling me that, Nero!"

Nero had stuck Blue Rose away and was already walking in the direction that led back to Devil May Cry. She stepped over the dead body and fell into step behind him. The two walked in silence-the only sound to be heard was the claps of thunder, the multiple cracklings of lightning, and the soft _pitter-patter _of the rain as it fell to the ground-wanting to go home and just rest. That had been the sixth demon they had hunted and killed today. This one had been, by far, the hardest of them all. Dante found him a few days back and told them what his next move would be and how it would be in one of the many bars. The two were reluctant to take the job, but eventually got off their butts and started hunting.

As they were turning another corner, Lena heard footsteps. Loud ones.

"You _idiots_! You think a measly bullet is all it will take to destroy _me_? _Pfft_!"

She turned and saw the bloody and previously thought to be dead demon charging at them, bullet still lodged in its head, and she instinctively pulled out her gun, Jester, and aimed. The demon dodged the projectile skillfully. He dodged the next one she fired his way.

_Damn it!_

The demon made a grab for her but she jumped, landed on one of the many benches that lined the street then kicked off of that and flipped through the air, landing right on the demons back. He roared in pain as her boot clad foot came into contact with his shoulder and started to shake and turn violently.

Lena leaned in close and said sneered menacingly, "You should have stayed on the ground!"

She shot him again in the back of his head. She grabbed the matted bloody patch of hair that sat atop the demon's head and pulled back, giving a perfect view of his neck. She took out one of her daggers, Apollo, and sliced it straight and cleanly across his exposed throat, strings of blood spurting everywhere. The demon fell to the ground with a _splash_ as more blood poured from out of its head and neck. She loosened her hand, letting the head fall limp.

Lena wiped the blood off of Apollo and put the dagger away, brushing her hands together twice, ridding her gloved hands of dirt, rain water, and blood. She jumped off the now dead demon and stepped in front of Nero.

"Well," he said with a raised eye brow and a slight smirk. "I never thought you were the type that could get down and dirty, Pipsqueak."

"One of the _many _things I refuse to let you know about me. And, for the _last time_, _don't_ call me pipsqueak." While putting her hood back up, Lena walked right past him with that natural sway of her hips that always managed to catch his eye.

As the two walked away, they had no idea that the demon, now in his human state, just lie there, unmoving and silent, before one slit, yellow eye popped open.

* * *

><p>Nero and Lena stepped through the door of Devil May Cry to find Lady and Patty playing pool and Dante sitting at his desk, feet propped on the desk and some magazine over his face, arms crossed over his chest.<p>

Lena and Lady were living with Dante due to the fact a demon had burned down their warehouse they had lived in. All they could salvage was most of their weapons, some clothes, and other things. They didn't have the money to get it redone and Lady blamed that on Dante, saying if "he had paid me back all that damn money he owes ages ago" they wouldn't be there right now. They'd tried Trish but she was out of town for the next month and a half with her friend because of demons repeatedly attacking the same village. And since they are living with Dante, half the pay the two of them collect goes to him, just like Nero. Dante had managed to get Nero to work for him. The older devil hunter decided to take Nero up on the offer and he needed the help.

"How was the first day of hunting as a team?" Lady asked as the balls scattered across the red felt table. Lena detected some sarcasm in her voice but shrugged it off.

"It was…interesting," Lena answered, easily avoiding how it had really been.

"Interesting?" Nero scoffed. "It was boring as all hell. I'm the one who took out most of them, Lena just stood by."

"Bullshit Nero!" Lena exclaimed, putting her hands on her hips. "_I _had to finish off most of them. That last one would have killed us both if you hadn't been so careless!"

"Keep it down you two," mumbled Dante from his desk. The magazine was no longer on his face and was probably lying somewhere on the floor, so he was using his arm as a replacement for the fallen magazine. "I'm trying to sleep."

Patty rolled her eyes and shot at a red ball only to have it land next to the hole, teetering over the edge before falling in quickly. Lady lined up the queue ball with a green one and shot, creating a small clanking noise. The ball hit a yellow one and blue one before cleanly landing in another whole.

Nero shook his head and grabbed his headphones, ready to blow his ears out with that loud heavy metal rock music. Sighing, he plopped down on the couch.

"Whatever," Lena muttered. "I'm gonna take a shower."

* * *

><p>As the dark haired girl let the hot water rain down her body, she closed her eyes and savored the warmth. The soap bubbles pooled at the floor of the tub before joining the slow, steady line to the drain. It felt nice to be bathed in warmth, especially after being out in the cold for so long today. She'd hated the cold for as long as she could remember. The way it bit at you, got you sick. The cold, the biting cold…<p>

That day, that faithful day…

Her thoughts wandered over to when Lady had found her. It had been freezing outside that day, and all she had on were jeans, a jacket, and a long sleeved shirt. She hadn't known where she was going, if she would ever go back, or how long it would take before she realized she couldn't survive on the streets with nothing more than the clothes on her back and scraps of food she managed to steal or find. All she knew was that she _had to get out_.

Her eyes snapped open as she was brought back to the present and she sighed deeply.

* * *

><p>Nero walked up the stairs and over to his room. He could still hear the sound of Lady laughing and Patty giggling at Dante for trying to order a pizza in this weather. Dante had been shot down, apparently, and was now cursing like a sailor for not getting pizza because of "a slight drizzle outside". Nero just snorted. It hadn't been drizzling since five. He pulled off his coat, hoodie and shirt and began rifling through his drawer for something more comfortable than jeans. He pulled on the most comfortable pants he could find and tossed his jeans in the corner. Out of instinct, he plopped down on the bed and tossed his arm over his eyes.<p>

_I still got at least twenty minutes_, he thought, realizing how long she took in the shower.

However, he didn't know that Lena walked through the open door that led into his room, the room she was staying in every other night for the time being. The two swapped where they slept at night, one night Nero would have the room while Lena had the couch and the next night she had the room. Tonight happened to be her night. The room consisted of a bed, a drawer, a ceiling fan and a window. Pretty plain, yes, but it's not like she expected to be treated like royalty. In fact, she quite liked this room. It was simple and that's all she needed.

Lena saw Nero laying on the bed, wearing nothing put a pair of sweats. His arm was still thrown across his face, covering his eyes. She walked over to him and shook his arm, trying not to stare too much at his bare chest. He moved it and squinted, seeing tired green eyes staring into his own sleepy electric blue ones.

_Crap. She picks tonight of all nights to be quick about it._

"It's my night. Up," she ordered but it didn't seem rude and there wasn't enough authority in it. She sounded like she was going to pass out right then and there if he didn't do as she said. Her damp hair was up in a ponytail and her shoulders drooped in a sluggish way. Her eyes narrowed in a sleepy manner as she rocked back and forth on her heels.

Nero sighed heavily and got up, reluctantly, from the bed. Just as he was walking out the door he turned a little and said, "Thanks…for what you did today. On that last demon."

"No problem."

He caught her lifting up the covers and practically jumping under them. Her full lips turned up in a tiny smile as she lie back against the mattress. Lena noticed his body turn more, like he wanted to face her and his mouth opened slightly, as if he was about to speak again. Instead though, he just continued toward the door and turned the corner before she said something else. He poked his head back in the room.

"We're a team now, I guess. That's the way it should be."

"Right," he nodded slowly. "Well, g'night Pipsqueak."

"Good night Nero," she replied with a heavy sigh at her new, unwanted nickname.

He chuckled slightly then shut the door behind him.

* * *

><p>Nero could not sleep. Her words kept echoing through his mind.<p>

"_We're a team now."_

Back in the Order, Nero became so used to working on his own, so used to having to look out only for himself, that he didn't know how well he would fair with another person on his side, watching his back. Lena was used to working with Lady, she'd always had her on her side. Nero, on the other hand, never exactly had that luxury. He'd always been assigned the strange or difficult demons _on his own_; never with anyone else.

This was so new to him, so fresh.

So, instead of dwelling further on the subject mentally, Nero just sighed and continued to stare at the ceiling, waiting for sleep to take him as he thought about what it would be like for the next few months and dealing with a partner within them.

* * *

><p>Lena walked down the stairs that led into the open space Dante insisted on calling his office. The small girl yawned as the daylight seeped in from the window, spilling onto the hardwood floor. When she reached Dante's desk, she noticed a note on it that was written in messy scrawl she immediately recognized as Lady's.<p>

_Nero and Lena,_

_We got a job just as we were about to close up._

_The latest we should be back by is tomorrow afternoon._

_Try not to kill each other, I think Dante would bust a lung if _

_he had to get blood out of the couch again._

_-Lady and Dante_

"We'll see Lady," Lena grumbled, shooting a glance back at the sleeping white-haired half-devil sprawled on the couch, shirtless, with his headphones on. "We'll see."

Just then, a loud knock sounded on the door and Lena walked over to it. She was ready to tell the customer politely that they weren't open yet only to find a small blond girl with clear, wide blue eyes wearing a frilly purple dress standing in front of her. With a wide smile she said, "Morning Lena!"

Patty Lowell ran into the shop, right past the dark haired demon hunter. Lena closed the door slowly before locking it tightly and walking up to where Patty sat on Dante's desk. Her curls seemed bouncier today and her smile brighter. A light pink tinge coated her cheeks, no doubt from being in the sun. She was the younger version of her mother, but still, the striking resemblance was prominent.

"What's up Patty?" Lena asked, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

"Nothing much," the girl answered brightly before looking over at Nero, who hadn't moved a muscle since Lena had walked down stairs. "Just as lazy as Dante."

Lena chuckled. "Yeah. I'm surprised this place has managed to stay clean."

"That's because you and Lady are the only ones that help," Patty answered. "Lady makes a big mess too, but at least she cleans up after herself."

Lena smiled before taking a seat in Dante's chair. Surprisingly enough, it was cold. Normally the seat was pretty warm because of Dante just lazing around in it for most of the day. Nonetheless, Lena leaned back in the chair, eyes still trained on Patty.

"Did you walk here again today?"

"No," Patty answered. "Morrison dropped me off. Mommy had a meeting."

Lena nodded. "Did he have a job for us?"

"No," Patty answered, shaking her head. "He did want me to tell you guys to "try not kill each other" though."

"They suck," Lena muttered. "It was only one time and you can't even _see_ the blood stain on the couch!"

Patty looked at her questioningly, most likely about to ask what she was talking about, before a distinct male voice said gruffly, "Actually, you can. You just gotta look hard enough."

Lena sharply looked over at the male laying on the couch in the same exact position as before. She narrowed her eyes. "It's not like people are gonna barge in here and start looking for it, though."

"Yeah," he agreed. "But it could still catch their eye."

"Was anyone talking to you?"

"Not really, but considering the fact that half of that blood is _my_ blood, I think I do have a say in the matter," Nero smirked arrogantly, knowing he'd won. "And we both know the only reason you replied like that is because you know I'm right."

After the sarcastic statement he tried to say failed, he flung his headphones on the coffee table and sprang to his feet. He quickly stretched before walking slowly in the direction of the stairs, stopping only to smile at Patty. "Hey Patty, how's it goin'?"

"It's…going," she said quietly, eyes still on Lena as the demon hunter's eyes were still glaring up at him. "How are you…?"

"Aside of the unfortunate fact that I have an annoying midget for a partner"-he flashed a bright smile in Lena's direction-"I'm _fantastic_."

He continued towards the stairs after that, leaving Patty with raised eyebrows and larger-than-average eyes and a very angry Lena, who looked around the desk before grabbing a magazine and chucking it in the half demon's direction. He ducked just as it was about to hit him, causing the thrown reading material to come into contact with the wall instead. When he reached that point, he picked it up and tossed it back at her, watching as it landed spread apart on the desk. "Missed, Pipsqueak."

Lena flipped him the bird when she thought he wasn't looking. Apparently, however, he was and he called out mockingly, "Saw that!"

"You were supposed to!"

Patty just sat on the edge of the desk, looking between the two, trying her hardest not to laugh.

* * *

><p><strong>Why, hello there!<strong>

**So, this is my first DMC story and I hoped you enjoyed the first chapter; thanks for clicking on this and reading it, that means a lot to me! So, please, drop a review and let me know what you think and if you did like it, add me to your Alert List guys. I would love it and you forever! Oh, and if you have any questions just PM me and I'll answer them!**

**A HUMONGOITIOUS (see? I'm even making up my own words! Unless someone else uses that words...then, ah whatever!) thanks to my FANTABULOUSLY AWESOME Beta, , for helping me with this story! And for those of you that don't know, she also has a story for Devil May Cry out called Dancing with Guns & Swords and it is absolutely _AMAZING_! So, go check her out guys!**

**Thanks again for reading and I hoped you like it enough to keep reading!**

**~SoulLove**


	2. Little Green Demons

_Disclaimer - I don't own any part of the _Devil May Cry _franchise. I do, however, own any/all OC's I incorporate into this story, the plot, and most likely anything else you may not recognize (_**Copyright © xxWARxx**_)._

* * *

><p><em><strong>C'mon, I Dare You<strong>_

"Why is she doing that?"

"Because she loves him."

"Yeah, but he-"

Apocalypse

"Shh!" Patty hushed excitedly. "This is the best part!"

Dante rolled his eyes at Patty and the sappy romance soap opera she was currently obsessing over. She practically bounced on her spot on the floor with anticipation as the girl on screen ran into the arms of the man who cheated on her for ten years with her sister. What was up with Patty? How could she get into this crap? After months of listening to soap opera after soap opera, Dante still didn't understand.

"Patty, he-"

"Shush, Dante!"

"He cheated on her, though. Why would she-?"

"They can't just throw away _fifteen years _of marriage! They _love _each other, Dante! Now _be quiet!_"

Just then, a bell chimed, signifying the door being open. Lena and Nero stepped through the doors. A green dull object was curled in Lena's hand. Nero smirked as he glanced at Dante.

"Damn, old man. Didn't know you had a thing for soap operas and takin' orders from a little girl."

"Damn, kid. Didn't know you liked to get your ass kicked by a girl who's smaller than you."

Lena snorted at Dante's comment. Nero glared heavily at the older man as he walked up to the coffee table and found Patty glaring at him. He sighed, correcting his earlier statement "_Fine. _A _young lady_." She smiled and turned her attention back to the screen. A woman with blond hair stood behind a tree, crying as her eyes found the couple staring deeply into each other's eyes. Nero picked up his headphones and put them on, blaring the music before walking up the stair case. Dante huffed before propping his feet up on the desk and closing his eyes.

Lena just gave a small hello to Patty and tossed a fifty on Dante's desk. Lady, who now sat on the edge of the desk, snuck a glance at it before the white haired half-devil peaked one eye open enough to see the money then closed his eye just as quickly. He heard Lena walk in the direction of the couch. Dante picked the money up and wrapped it in the rubber band with the rest before placing it back in the drawer and locking it securely. He didn't know how much money they'd gotten in the last few weeks, but it was more than Dante had ever had ever since he started demon hunting. When he looked back up, Patty hadn't moved a muscle and her eyes seemed wider than before while Lena sat on the couch with her legs drawn up to her chest, head resting on her knees. Patty squeaked, eyes widening.

"YAY! They're back together! Can you believe it guys? They're together again!"

"Yay," Dante said, not an ounce of enthusiasm in his voice whatsoever.

When the two had first met, Dante thought she was just an annoying little brat. However, as Patty began to come over more often, he grew used to her presence. When she wasn't there watching her freaky game shows and fluffy romance soaps or-dare he say-_cleaning_, it just didn't feel right. He cared about her, despite how it seemed on the outside sometimes, Patty was like the little sister he'd never had.

The credits began to roll and Patty began to jump up and down, rotating in a circle. Dante swore he saw tears glistening in her eyes. However, just as she stopped and turned to face Dante before a voice boomed, "Darcy! How could you?" causing Patty to turn back to the television sharply and gasp.

"IT'S…COMING…_BACK! THERE'LL BE ANOTHER SEASON!_" The little blond girl spun on one foot and then fell back limply on to the couch, a dreamy expression taking over her features completely as she watched a man look between two women. One had her arms crossed over her chest while the other looked at him pleadingly.

"Lord," Dante muttered, leaning back farther. "Shush, Patty. I don't want to hear anymore of that crappy show. You've been squealing since noon."

"Well, I'm sorry I got excited Dante!"

"Yeah? Well, you should-"

_Crrreeeaaak!_

He stopped abruptly, eyes snapping open. His feet fell to the floor loudly as he sat up straight. He grabbed Ebony and Ivory off the desk just as Lady grabbed Kalina Ann. He turned to a narrow-eyed Lena who had just grabbed Jester and a scared looking Patty. "What's-?"

"Take Patty upstairs," he cut her off.

"But, Dante-!" Patty tried but it was no use.

"Go!"

Lena grabbed the blonde's hand and kept Jester in the other as they rushed up the stairs.

"Alright," he drawled walking slowly around the spacious room. "Where the hell are ya?"

The room remained quiet. Lady and Dante continued to circle around slowly, quietly. Something rustled to their left and their heads snapped in that direction. "Don't be shy, now." More rustling sounds filled the air. Dante felt eyes on him as he quietly padded about the room. _If this stupid thing messes up my office, _he thought, _I swear-_

A sickly green demon with a bald shiny head emerged from the shadows, hissing unintelligible nonsense. Lady lunged with Kalina Ann, plunging the demon straight through the chest, the very tip of the blade peaking out through it's back. With the bayonet pointed toward the floor, she shook it a few times and the demon fell to the ground. It twitched, mumbling gibberish under its breath. Dante held both Ebony and Ivory towards it ready to blow the demon's head off it so much as twitched again.

"G-g-girl," was the only thing the demon said that didn't sound like it's mouth was filled with marbles. Before either Dante or Lady could react, however, green dust suddenly filled it's place, nothing but a pile of ashes mixed with bits of its own blood.

"Girl?" Lady turned questioningly to Dante, who was still staring at the dust.

"I don't know," he answered truthfully.

_Crrreeeaaak!_

Without turning around, Dante pointed both Ebony and Ivory in the direction of the creaky staircase. A guttural yelp rang out before all was silent again.

"L-Lena?" Patty began as said hunter ripped open the door to Nero's room. He shot up and tugged off his headphones, tearing his eyes away from the open window that gave a perfect view to the setting sun, a look of complete disbelief clouding his features. "Hey! What do you think you're-?"

Lena shushed him by throwing him Blue Rose and mouthing the word _demons_. He suddenly became very serious and nodded once.

"Guys-!"

Patty was cut off when Lena placed a hand over her mouth firmly. She rapidly ushered the blond under the bed and followed after her. The two lie flat on their stomachs, Lena's gun aimed towards the margin of space between the floor and the bed. Lena could hear the girl's heart beating a mile a minute from where she lay next to her. Patty was gripping her hand so tight, Lena swore she would have bruises by morning. Through the slit of the open space, the female demon hunter could see Nero's boots as he walked slowly around the room. Floorboards creaked as he continued to walk but when he stopped suddenly, they continued.

Then, there were no creaky floorboards. There was no sound at all besides that of Patty's thumping heart._ Maybe they're _gone, Lena thought. It seemed like it. She let out a breath as she turned to look at Patty, who also appeared as if she had been thinking the same thing. Lena's eyes closed. _Everything's fine. Nothing's gonna-_

That's when the gunshots started.

Patty jumped and let out a loud yelp that could hardly be heard over the sound of the projectile being fired above them. Nasty green colored feet suddenly ran across the floor, the demons hissing and attempting to jump on Nero from what Lena could tell. Every time they came close to him, though, all you heard was a gun being fired then green dust coming into as it fall to the floor. Patty now squeezed Lena's hand to the point where she might have lost all feeling completely. Patty screamed when she heard the monster yell something that had sounded suspiciously like the word _girl_, however she was too scared to actually dwell further on that, for she was too busy burying her face in the flesh of Lena's small hand.

The demon cried out in pain. Patty expected to hear a thud of some sort but all she heard was the sound of her beating heart. She was afraid to open her eyes, so she relied on her ears to tell her that everything was fine.

"Patty, you okay?" a female voice asked.

"Y-y-yeah," she lied. She couldn't even register what had happened, it was all too fast. Fingers gripped her own and pried them from Lena's hand. The young girl reluctantly let go, digits still stiff. Something shifted next her suddenly-most likely Lena-and she felt light warm her eye lids. They opened slowly, taking in all that was there: Nero's boots, Lena's boots, and light. She crawled out and stood, brushing dirt and dust from her baby blue dress.

"You sure?"

The hunters had similar expressions on their face: eyes filled with concern, lips pressed in a thin line and knit eyebrows. Nero sat on the bed while Lena stood practically right in front of her. Patty walked in the direction of the door, careful not to go anywhere near the vile smelling green dust. She gave them what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "Yeah. I'm just going to…go call my mom."

With that, the little blond girl exited the room.

"Why is this place always filled with demons?" Nero muttered under his breath.

"That?" Lena scoffed. "Tch. That was nothing out of the ordinary."

"Yeah, but they kept saying _girl_."

"Maybe they found out your dirty little secret."

"Then they couldn't have been after _you_," he began, tone coated in a thick layer of sarcasm. "After all, they _were_ after a _girl_."

She glared daggers in the direction of a smirking Nero. Before she could say anything more, a thought truck her cold.

_Were they looking for Patty?_

Lena sighed as she stared at the green that dotted the room. She was about to go downstairs to get the broom but something caught her eye. The dusty substance appeared to be _moving_. When she looked more closely, she could tell they really were. The piles were shaking, softly at first, but soon became more violent as time progressed. Then, it was all lifted from the ground and shot out the open window. Lena ran to it, only to find nothing in the cool air but the sky painted different shades of orange and pink.

When Lena shut the window, Nero finally asked, "You think she's okay?"

"Patty? Yeah, I'm sure she's a bit shaken up but she's always here with Dante, so I'm sure she's seen demons that are more gruesome than a couple of those midgets."

"I guess you're right," he murmured, eyes trained on the door.

About an hour later, the door burst open to reveal a worried looking Nina Lowell. Her eyes scanned the shop of Devil May Cry until she found her daughter staring blankly at the floor from where she sat on the couch. She looked unharmed. No cuts, scrapes, or bruises of any sort n the skin she could see. But then again, if there was anything that was causing her pain at the moment, it would have shown on her face.

"Patty?"

The small blond girl looked up to see her mother standing by the door. "Mommy!"

She jumped up and ran into the safety of her mother's arms. The older Lowell clutched her daughter's small form to her tightly, stroking her hair, and sighed once in relief. When the two let go of each other, Nina turned to glare at Dante.

"Don't give me that look Nina," he began, leaning back in his chair. "She's perfectly safe and before she even found you, this is the kind of stuff that happened here. And apparently, it still does."

"When she comes here, I'm trusting you to keep my daughter safe. What happened-!"

"She's completely fine, as you can see," Lady inquired. "Patty was kept completely safe when it all went down."

"Well, then was she in the middle of shoot-"

"She was with me, Nina," Lena cut her off from where she leaned against the staircase railing.

"But, what about-"

"I was in the room with them," Nero started. "Yes, there were demons. Yes, we shot them. Yes, Patty was safe the entire time."

Silence filled the air around them as Nina continued to stare at the faces of each hunter. Dante just leaned back in his chair, eyes closed with his feet propped up on the desk. And Lady, who sat on the edge of Dante's desk with her legs crossed, looked rather sullen. Lena just gave a small smile and an even smaller reassuring nod. Nero, unsurprisingly, sat on a stool with his headphones on.

"Alright," the mother sighed eventually. "I'm sorry, you're right. Thank you. We should be heading home now."

"Oh, ok," Patty said. She turned to face the others. "Bye, guys! Thanks!"

"No problem, Patty," Lady called out after them.

As the two were walking out, Patty was explaining to her mother that she was fine the entire time and everything they told her was true. Lena grinned after her. Despite the gap in their ages, Patty was Lena's friend. If the two were the same age, they would still probably be friends. Patty was just easily likeable like that. And, yes, on some days, Dante was a bit right about Patty being annoying, but what Dante said was just exaggeration, nothing more. Lena liked Patty from the day they first met.

"Who are you?" she had asked innocently. Lena had been told to wait in the office while Dante and Lady went to go look for something in Dante's mess of a room. When Lena looked down at the girl, she saw bright blue eyes and thick blond curls. Her dress that day had been a pretty shade of pink. Her eyes were filled with curiosity.

"I'm Lena," said hunter replied. "I'm good friends with Lady. What's you name?"

"I'm Patty and I'm Dante's good friend."

_That's strange_, she'd thought. _Didn't know Dante liked having little girls run around his office…or _anyone _running around his office for that matter._

"Really?"

"Yup!" she exclaimed with a wide grin. "Do you want some tea?"

"Uh, sure," Lena had said, not wanting to sound rude. And so, when Patty came back with hot tea on a tray, the two sat down and began to talk about nothing in particular, really. The weather (as cliché as it was), the dress Patty was wearing that day, if Lena was a hunter. Little things.

That night, when Lena was ready to go to bed, she realized that she had left her gun in Nero's room. Sighing heavily, the small huntress made her way up the stairs reluctantly.

She would fair just fine with only her daggers, Artemis and Apollo, but still, you could never be too sure. It wasn't like she could only defend herself with Jester, she just liked having the gun around. Why bother throwing her daggers somewhere and risk losing one or maybe even both of them, when she could just shoot a gun and not have to worry about losing anything? The daggers had been a gift from an old friend of Lady's named Clarisse. Lena kept tagging along with Lady as they visited her and she grew fond of Lena. The last time they met with her, she was leaving the city. So, she gave Lena these two daggers and ordered her never to loose them, that they were special. She'd kept them close ever since.

She knocked on the door then put her hand on the knob, ready to barge in if need be. Instead of having to bust the door down, Nero actually answered for once. "Who is it?"

"Lena," she sighed.

A few beats of silence. Then, "What do you want?"

"My gun."

"Maybe I should keep it, won't shoot me then." He was at the door now.

"I still have daggers, ya know," she smirked, her tone sweetly sarcastic. "All the better to stab you with, my dear."

The door suddenly swung open, revealing Nero in nothing but sweats. His hair was tousled and that infamous smirk of his that never seemed to leave his face was already gracing his lips. "Oh? So I went from being a sarcastic asshole that was careless to being your _dear_ that quickly? I got better luck with women than I thought."

"Please," Lena scoffed as she shoved past him and scanned the room for her gun. "You have just about enough luck with the opposite sex as Dante does. In fact, he might just have _more _than you."

Seeing Jester on the floor by the bed, she padded over and picked up the gun. Just as she turned, she was met with the sight of Nero's chest, causing her to inhale sharply with her nose as her eyes widened for a fraction of a second in shock. Her eyes were glued to his defined chest and she couldn't seem to bring her eyes away from his torso. Nero saw this and decided to take advantage.

"See somethin' you like, Pipsqueak?"

His words rattled through her mind for an instant before she caught herself. She could feel her face get suddenly very hot and her tired green eyes shot up to see electric blue ones filled with nothing but amusement. He was making fun of her, she knew. Lena's eyes narrowed as she held the gun up to the half-demon's sculpted stomach, cold metal pressing into his warm flesh.

"I'm about to in a minute," she ground out.

"Ooh, even when recovering from looking at my abs, you still have a sharp tongue," he retorted, crossing his arms over his chest. "I thought we went over this. A bullet won't kill me. So, please, stop trying to. The results you want are never going to happen."

"As long as you shed _some _blood, I'd be happy with that."

"It's all on the couch, that's not enough?"

"Not in a million years," she smiled.

They continued to stare at each other. Green orbs that screamed out _ANGER. _Penetrating blues shouted just as loud _THIS IS __**HYSTERICAL**_. Lena never moved the gun from his stomach just like she never let the frown fall from her face. Nero's smirked never faltered, much to Lena's dismay. The only movement he made was crossing his arms over his chest. At one point, she almost, _almost_, pulled that trigger. But she knew that was he wanted and there was just _no way _she'd ever give him that satisfaction.

"You're just too sarcastic for your own good, aren't you?"

"Something like that." The smirk grew.

The two shared an uneventful silence. There was no awkwardness or tensions. Just…silence.

"What ever, Nero…" she sighed and pulled the gun away and started for the hallway.

"What?" he called out and she could hear the mocking in his voice. "I'm not your _dear_ anymore?"

"You never were," she replied as she continued to trot down the stairs. "In my eyes, you're still a careless sarcastic asshole."

She placed Jester on the coffee table next to the couch as she passed. She checked to see if the door was locked then turned out all the lights. She picked up the pillow and blanket that sat on the stool in the corner of the room and tossed them on the sofa. Sighing, she crawled onto the couch and pulled the quilt over her. Her foot rested on the hard spot where the dried blood stain was. She moved it.

She remembered thinking he was just acting like that because he didn't really know her all that well and by the time they _did _know each other, things would be fine. That didn't exactly happen…. The third time they saw each other, the two began to argue about how stupid the names of their guns were.

He said Jester probably couldn't even injure him, and she knew he was just trying to get a rise out of her, but she fell for it anyway. She shot him right in the stomach and he clutched at the fresh wound. His blood leaked out through his fingers and soaked the couch. She smirked and began to walk past him only to feel two things graze the back of her exposed leg. Yelping, she looked down and saw blood dripping down her leg. Her head shot up and found him smirking and she caught the bullet pop out of his stomach and land on the floor. It rolled…rolled…rolled and hit her boot, stopping completely. _Damn half-demons! _She attempted throwing one of her daggers at him, but when she did, he caught the weapon single-handedly, and threw it back. She had dodged it by flinging herself to the side, causing her to land on the couch, mixing her blood with his as the poor sofa absorbed it.

Lena shook her head, shooting back to the present. She felt tired and stupid. The latter was due to the fact that she had just _stood there_ and _stared_ at Nero's chest. He was still an insufferable ass, despite how good a body he had. She breathed heavily from her nose. The only light to be seen was that of the moon's pouring in from the windows as it splashed the wooden floor with color. That was the last thing she saw before drifting into the abyss that was sleep.

* * *

><p><strong> , I just have to say YOU ARE THE BEST BETA THAT HAS EVER BEEN IN THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE OF BETAS! I effing Love you 33! Without you, this story might not have been published. And if I HAD published it without talking to you, it wouldn't have been that good...so...THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH! YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! Speaking of AMAZING, she has a story out called <strong>Dancing with Guns & Swords **so, go check it out guys! I LOVE IT! It's just...GAH! Words can't describe it! :DDDDDDD 33333333**

**Okay, now the Author's Note:**

**I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Tell me if you did in a review! I need to know what you guys think of it! I'd LOVE IT and YOU forever!**

**Did anyone here see the World Cup? If you were rooting for America, you were probably as P-ed Off as I was (no offense to Japan). -_-**

**Did anyone see **Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2?** I won't say anything for those of you who haven't, but it is just _ABOSLUTELY AMAZING _TIMES INFINITY TIMES 10 TIMES EVERYTHING ELSE__! I cried a lot because of reasons that would be spoilers and also because it's over and I grew up reading the books and watching the movies, so, very emotional time for me... 3333333333 :DDDDDDDDD**

**Wow, that was an extremely short Author's Note...anyway, Review guys! Please! Tell me what you thought of the World Cup (if you watched it) and go check out **Dancing with Guns & Swords **by my absolutely _WONDERFUL _Beta, . If you _have_ seen** Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2 **feel free to PM me and we could talk about it. 3 :D**

**~SoulLove**


	3. Training Sucks

_Disclaimer - I don't own any part of the _Devil May Cry _franchise. I do, however, own any/all OC's I incorporate into this story, the plot, and most likely anything else you may not recognize _**(Copyright © xxWARxx)**.

**_Old Friends_**

Lena's breathing was labored and she sat on the squishy blue mat right next to Dante. He had a smirk gracing his features with his arms crossed over his bare chest. "Fuck, Dante. Are you trying to kill me?"

Lena's breathing was labored and she sat on the squishy blue mat right next to Dante. He had a smirk gracing his features with his arms crossed over his bare chest. "Fuck, Dante. Are you trying to kill me?"

"Not my fault you've gotten a bit rusty, Lena," he sighed. "Get up. It isn't gonna do itself, now is it?"

Lena huffed and stoop up, grabbing the BB gun and brushing dirt off her shorts. Her tank top was drenched with sweat and her shorts were damp with the perspiration. A sheen of it covered her body, glistening slightly in the bright light of the large room set up with many obstacles. Dante leaned against the wall, arms still crossed over his bare chest.

He hadn't even broken a sweat.

"You ready?" Dante asked as he clutched two BB guns in his hands.

"Yeah."

"Okay…go!"

Lena ran across the large room, skillfully dodging the small plastic pellets. She approached the uneven bars and quickly swung from the shorter one. She stopped, holding herself perfectly straight on the bar, feet pointing towards the ceiling. She grabbed the gun she had in her mouth and pointed it directly at Dante. She shot the BB gun twice and swung from the shorter bar with one, landing gracefully on the taller one. She swung from that one once more, landing on her feet.

Dante pulled the trigger on his BB guns, shooting them as quickly as if they were Ebony and Ivory. Lena jumped and flipped through the air, dodging one. She front-flipped over the next two, firing her gun at him as well. Dante suddenly moved from his position to her right so he was in thirty feet in front of her instead. As he shot at her more, she side-stepped, twirled and ducked out of the way. Finally, she was five feet from him.

Lena jumped at him. She braced herself for the collision of her body knocking right into his but before that could even happen, he was just a few inches to her left. She landed flat on her stomach and suddenly the small amount of cereal she'd eaten that morning decided it wanted to return to the Land of the Living in the rudest of ways. Dante crouched beside her.

"You missed," he said with his infamous smirk. "Again."

Lena glared up at him. "Isn't the point to dodge the bullets and shoot you in the process?"

"Think about it this way: if I was a real demon attacking, you would have been torn to shreds and then eaten as a midnight snack. I mean, you're small enough for it…."

She huffed and stood up, glare still trained on him. He chuckled at his own pun. He sighed. "Can't take a joke, can you?"

"Oh I can," she smiled. "It just gets a bit annoying when you're height is the joke of the day."

"What is it Nero calls you?" Dante asked, mischief gleaming in his electric blue eyes. "Pipsqueak, is it? Got a real nice ring to it, don't you think?"

Lena scowled. She hated that name with a burning passion that resided within the core of her very being. Dante and Lady found it rather funny that her new and unwanted partner had a nickname for her. Yes, she was small and no, she'd never really had a problem with it. But ever since Nero decided it would be oh so hysterical to give her such a…endearing name, she'd become a bit more self conscience about her height.

"Dante, can we please focus on training?" she asked, the agitation growing in her voice.

"Whatever you say," he said, grimacing, "Pipsqueak."

She rolled her eyes before taking a few steps back. They stood apart with a good margin of space separating them. Her fists were tight and her stance was strong. "Ready…go!"

She swung but he easily blocked it. She swung with her other hand but again, he blocked. She picked up the pace, punching, kicking, twirling, then kicking once more. Dante saw every one of her attacks coming before she even realized what she was going to do next. She mentally groaned in frustration. He suddenly did a roundhouse kick, which she barely managed to block.

"Here." Dante said as he walked up behind her. Lena's back went rigid as he placed himself right behind her so his chest was right up against her back. He grabbed her arms and pulled them back a bit, then down so her forearms were covering most of her torso.

"When you block a roundhouse kick, most of the time you're going to get hit in the chest," he said in her ear. "Your block was good, but you weren't expecting me to kick. Now if you just strengthen it up a little—yeah, like that—you should be fine, even if you don't see it coming. Next time you have to be quicker, though."

He moved away from her and her back relaxed slightly as she let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. He did another round house kick and she blocked it as he had instructed to do so. If she hadn't it would have hit her chest, just as Dante had said.

They practiced hand to hand combat some more before he said, "Alright, I know you suck when it comes to using swords but we're gonna try it again."

It was true. Lena handling a sword hadn't turned out very well. Dante thought it would be good if she could use a sword along with her daggers. It was longer and could kill more enemies from a distance along with blocking attacks. Daggers could block some things—not as many as swords—and since they were much smaller they had to be used while close to your opponent. Lena worked well with her daggers. Swords? Not so much.

"Try not to cut me this time, okay?"

Lena just nodded. When she had first tried using a sword she had cut a deep gash in Dante's chest. Now, the point is of course to wound your rival.

All she had done was pick it up.

It healed quickly, of course but from that moment on, she knew swords weren't her thing.

Dante tossed her one of the melee weapons. It was light and thin, the blade wasn't really sharp, and the hilt was rough. Dante had a similar sword, only the size was bigger.

"Alright," he said. "I want you to swing."

She lifted the sword and swung at him. He blocked it of course by holding up the sword with both hands on either end of it. "See how I blocked? You have to keep your feet planted, and hold the sword firmly. Try it."

Lena mimicked Dante's action by holding the sword the exact same way he did. She kept her stance steady, feet spread apart. Suddenly, the feeling and sound of his sword clashing against her own shook her slightly but she held her ground. "Good."

She stabbed the mat below her and leaned against the sword. She looked up and smirked. "Well, ya know, I—"

"YAH!" he lunged at her with the sword. She gasped and brought her own weapon up to block. He pulled back and came at her again. Lena dodged the attack. She looked up at him and said venomously, "What the hell Dante?"

"C'mon, _Pipsqueak_," he taunted. "Scared?"

"Dante, what—?"

_Slice!_

"You sure?" he asked sarcastically. She ducked his attack.

"Because—" _shinkt! _"—you—" _whoosh! _"—look—" _shah! _"—scared!"

He moved his arm in a single swift motion and the sword Lena had been holding up clattered out of her hand. Her head whipped to the floor for half a second before turning back to Dante, contemplating picking it up or not. She decided not to, since she didn't know what Dante was going to do next. She backed up two steps and he copied her movement by moving forward two steps. He spun, the sword like an extension of his own arm. Lena rolled out of the way and jumped as he brought his sword down, flipping through the air. She landed on his back. She stabbed her index and middle fingers down into his shoulder.

"AGH!"

She pulled his arm back and managed to kick the back of his leg in and kicked the blade out of his hand. Before they hit the ground, he grabbed her and put her beneath him, but she was quicker. She rolled away from him.

He stood, facing the girl who bounced on her feet, fists ready. He wiped his nose. "Not bad…but I'm sure you can do better."

He charged her and she jumped out of the way at the last minute, but Dante grabbed her ankle and pulled her back down to him. He pinned her up against the wall, giving her no room to move away.

She swallowed hard as he closed in on her. Her breathing became harder. Reacting as quick as she could, Lena used her fists to hit him right on his torso. He was caught off guard by her sudden attack and she used this to her advantage, cart wheeling out of the corner.

He faced her once more and wasn't surprised to find the BB gun pressed to his temple and a triumphant smirk gracing her full lips. He held his hands up in mock surrender, chuckling. The sword clattered to the ground.

She pulled back, smirk still there as she allowed herself a moment to boast at her victory. She turned, walking in slowly a circle and shouted, "This day, the day Dante failed to take down a girl smaller and younger than him in a mere training exercise, is the day I, Lena—!"

He came up behind her and wrapped an arm around her neck, and pulled back, letting her body fall back to the blue mat. She glared up at him and he grimaced.

"Never let your guard down."

The walk back home was silent. It always seemed to be that way with Lena and Dante when they would go back to the shop after training; the comfortable silence that accompanied them felt right. They'd tried having a conversation a few times, but the words usually hung there as the wind blew them away.

The sun beat down on them and there wasn't a breeze to even it out. Capulet City was known for its bipolar weather. It could be snowing profusely in the morning and by the afternoon be a whopping one hundred degrees outside, then go to thunderstorms just an hour later. Although Lena had clearly grown used to the odd patterns of the weather, it didn't mean she liked it.

Finally, the sign reading Devil May Cry came into view. Lena was grateful, not really sure if she could have lasted any longer in the heat. On any other day, it would have been relatively normal, but when she stepped out of that gym with a busted up air conditioning system, she felt the heat waves slam into her body like a rock.

Dante sighed as he stepped through the doors, Lena following close behind. He went straight to his desk, plopping down on the chair, and planted his outstretched legs firmly on the surface of the desk.

Lena expected to see Nero somewhere in the shop but he was nowhere to be found, much to her delight. It was nice not having to bicker with the boy the minute she stepped through the door. So nice, in fact, that she even cracked a smile.

"What's got you chipper all of a sudden?"

Her smile faded. "What? I can't smile here or something? Afraid it might brighten the room?"

"With the crap Patty does to this place, I doubt it needs anymore brightening up," Dante said, one eye cracked open. "And it's not that. It just seems like you haven't smiled in a long time. Not for real, at least."

"Not true!" Lena defended. "I smile all the time!"

Dante looked at her with both eyes now, a "Whatever you say" look on his face. Then, abruptly, his face melted into that smirk. "I know what it is."

"Oh yeah?" Lena asked, crossing her arms. "What is it?"

"Nero's not here."

She was silent a moment, taking what he just said. She didn't think it was that obvious.

"I'm right, aren't I?"

"Shut up," she laughed. "Okay, maybe that is why. It's just that…I don't know. He can be the biggest jerk in the world sometimes and—"

Dante sat up straight in his seat suddenly, replacing his legs for his elbows as he stared her down accusingly. "I get it. You guys hate each other. You think I don't know? That it's some big secret? I mean, the blood stain on the couch gives me enough proof Lena."

A light pink coloring made its way to her cheeks as she remembered that day.

Dante stood up slowly, looking around the room and Lena stared up at him questioningly.

Dante took slow, tentative steps whilst inside and Lena immediately sensed something was wrong with him. His back tensed as he grabbed Ebony and Ivory off his desk cautiously, as if waiting for something.

"Dante—?" Lena began but Dante cut her off.

"Shh." He held a hand out and she silenced herself. Behind her, she could have sworn she felt a presence.

She turned swiftly, only to find nothing there. She looked back at Dante and he must have seen the question glinting in her eyes because he nodded once. He snatched her daggers off the desk and tossed them at her. She caught them both in each hand and maneuvered them so she was holding them properly.

All was silent as the two continued to survey the room, circling it and keeping a wide eye out. For a good five minutes it was like that, silent and undisturbed, showing no signs of any other person in the room. Lena relaxed and turned to find Dante's back to her, still waiting to pounce on anything that dared to attack.

"Dante, I think it's—"

That's when she was knocked to the ground with her captor's body looming over her own. She couldn't see the person's face due to a dark shadow that would disappear even in the light, but by the stocky build and broad shoulders it possessed told her it was probably a man. With the hand that clutched Artemis, she delivered a clean punch to her captor's face. Taken aback, he reached up to clutch at his jaw with one of his hands and she rolled from under him.

When she caught sight of Dante, it seemed he had his own hands full with a shadowy figure attacking him. She looked back down just in time to see the man get up and come at her again. She jumped up at the last minute, performing a rather high standing tuck and turning in time to lunge at her opponent. He was still trying to slow down when she collided with him, so he really wasn't ready for the attack.

She raised her arm high above her head, ready to strike him with Artemis, but he grabbed her arm. He had caught her off guard with the sudden move and flipped them, so she was beneath him, pinning her. Lena squirmed uncomfortably but it was no use. His hold on her was too strong. She braced herself for the blow, but all that came was a big, fat kiss on the cheek with a loud smacking sound as he planted it on her.

For a moment, she froze in place, eyes widening. She though to herself, _Holy crap, this guy's sick!_Then as her captor pulled back and the shadow disappeared from view, she clearly recognized the dark hair and warm eyes. The smile she hadn't seen in forever graced the boy's lips and she couldn't help but return it.

"Scott!" she exclaimed.

He got up and held a hand out to her. She took it gladly and once she was up, he didn't bother letting go of her. He pulled her into a tight embrace.

"It's so good to see you!" she said.

"Yeah," he agreed. "You too."

When they pulled back, she caught Dante pinning the blond woman to the desk, gun poised directly above her head. The woman looked up at him, face expressionless.

"Clarisse," he said, eyes roaming over her. "I see you haven't changed."

"Ahh, Dante," Clarisse breathed. "Neither have you."

She smiled and Dante looked down suddenly. Following his gaze was both Lena and Scott. Their eyes settled on a long, sharp knife pressed lightly into Dante's stomach. He looked up from under his lashes to find her smiling sweetly; you never would have been able to guess she was ready to stab someone. Or, at the very least, be able to kill a man fifteen different ways with just a bobby pin.

Her eyes flicked over to Lena and she smiled brightly. Dante moved the gun and she retreated as well, tucking her knife safely back into its holster underneath her dress. She hugged Lena almost tighter than Scott had and Lena returned it.

"What are you guys doing here?"

"Darling," she said, "coming to visit you and Lady, of course."

Clarisse and Scott were two good friends of Lady and Lena. In fact, Clarisse had been the one who gave Lena her daggers, Artemis and Apollo. She was actually a witch and Scott had super strength. Clarisse had found him in an alley while walking home one day in London. He was fending off this gang and was doing a pretty good job of it, but even for someone with as much strength as he had, it was still too much. Clarisse had taken him in since he fled from the orphanage he had lived in till he was twelve.

"I thought you guys were going home for a while because of some things you had to take care of?" Lena replied.

"We did," Clarisse said. "And now we're done. We thought it'd be good to visit some old friends."

Lena smiled. "Well, Lady's not here right now but she should be back soon."

"Brilliant," Clarisse smiled. "And then we can all go out to dinner."

"Dinner?" Dante asked. "Fine by me. But I'm not paying."

"I wasn't expecting you to," Clarisse assured. "If you really haven't changed, then you should still be up to your neck in debt."

"Forehead, actually," Dante smiled.

"Of course," Clarisse gave a short laugh. "How could I be mistaken?"

"Sounds like a plan," Lena nodded, happy to be with her friends again.

"And don't forget Nero, Lena," Dante piped up.

"Nero?" Scott asked.

"Yeah. Nero," Dante replied. "Lena's little boyfriend."

"Okay, number one, he isn't my boyfriend, or anything of a friend to me," Lena said, tacking off the point on her finger. "And two, he probably wouldn't even want to go anyway."

"I'm all for dinner."

Lena's eyes widened at the sound of his voice. She turned to find him lazily walking through the front doors. He had this small smile painted on his face that he probably intended to be welcoming, but Lena knew better. She knew it was a smirk and an unwanted comment waiting to happen.

"Right, then," Lena said with a slightly faltering smile. "Clarisse and Scott, this is Nero. Nero, this is Clarisse and Scott."

Clarisse approached him. She held her hand out politely. "Pleasure."

Nero just looked down at her hand and back up to her eyes. His smile faded slightly. Instead he just walked right past her. Scott tried to introduce himself but Nero just kept on walking. He went right over to Dante and placed the money on his desk.

Lena just stared at him, eyes narrowed with her arms crossed over her chest. Typical behavior, not that she expected any less from Nero. He walked up the creaking staircase and out of sight.

"Don't mind him," Dante explained. "He's not exactly a people person."

"There's no point in downplaying it," Lena continued. "He's an asshole."

"Yeah, I can tell," Scott replied.

"No matter," Clarisse said. Her gaze found Lena's as she finally drank in what she was wearing. "Please tell me you aren't going to be wearing that to dinner."

Lena looked down at her shorts and tank top. "Nope."

Clarisse had always been adamant about clothes that way. Knowing her, she'd probably decide to take them all out to the nicer parts of Capulet City and have them dine in a sort of fancy restaurant. In which case, she would have Lady and Lena dress as if it was some sort of formal event. When Lena was younger, Clarisse loved to dress her up. She said that it was a nice change from always forcing Scott to wear a tux, since Lena always happily obliged to whatever Clarisse would have her wear.

The witch nodded. "Good. I had a little something I mind…if that's alright."

"When has it ever not been alright?"

"That's my girl," Clarisse smiled.

Lena just smiled back. Seeing two of her close friends made her happy considering the intense training session she had just done with Dante. It also gave her and Nero a reason to avoid each other for a while. At the thought, her smile widened.


End file.
